In Just Spring – Broiled Grapefruit (SCD & GFCF)

In just spring, when the world is mud-licious and the world is puddle-wonderful, the crocuses push out of the earth and the tender firm buds open their petals, the crisp mornings cool, slightly warm; frost steaming off the fence by the thawing sun.

Yes, I just riffed off e.e. cummings. The very first sign of spring for me is when I see crocuses; I look forward to these little flowers every year. A broiled grapefruit with its warm, crusty surface giving way to the cool interior is like those early spring mornings, as the earth warms up yet still cool enough, for a while, that we can still snuggle up in our favourite house sweater and cradle a warm cup of tea or coffee before we must get on with our day or finding comfort in a warm bowl of soup.

I can only imagine that if Dudley Dursley had his grapefruit broiled, he may have liked the fruit much better.

If you haven’t had broiled grapefruit before, it’s a lovely way to eat grapefruit if you’re tired of just eating it raw or drinking the juice. Even grapefruit haters have been won over by this presentation.

Grapefruit is also my cure-all for a sore throat from a time when, years ago, I was down with a cold. After eating a grapefruit my sore throat went away and it didn’t come back.

I generally consider myself a girl of all seasons – I like ’em all – but since my family’s California holiday in October, I’ve grown an appreciation for warm sunshine. I’ve been looking forward to this spring. When I was doing my blog reading rounds a couple weeks ago there was one that had captured the sun’s rays in the photos and I found myself no longer paying attention to the food.

Do you think my brain’s telling me I need vitamin D? I see the sunlight in those pictures and oh! I just long for its warmth, heart-achingly so, I texted.

Any thoughts of mine that held the notion of a late spring – in thanks to the amazing, sometimes wild, weather we’ve had recently – were dashed when, one morning, I saw crocuses peeping out of the soil; their petals opening to greet the sun. It made me reconsider the poem I’d written only the previous day,

The sun shone brightly
But it was a cold sun and bitter
For Spring had not yet come
Waiting on the doorstep
To be let in

Sun beating ‘pon your skin
Its rays embracing, wrapping you in warmth
Like a blanket in the cold
Of the crossroads as
Winter melts into Spring

Broiled Grapefruit

While you can do this under the broiler, if you have a blowtorch that works just as well. Although I have not yet tried, I imagine that using some crushed honeycomb would make for an excellent extra crunch in lieu of burnt sugar.

Serves 1 or 2

1 grapefruit (I recommend ruby red but any will do)
Honey

Cut grapefruit in half and drizzle honey on each half. Rub it in with the back of a spoon. Place the grapefruit halves under the broiler, on a baking sheet or balancing the halves in ramekins, anywhere from 2 to 5 to 7 minutes, until the tops are slightly caramelized. Remove from the broiler and cool slightly. Transfer to plates and serve warm. Enjoy!